Australian Artist Sean Meilak Launches a Custom-made Furniture Collection.

Screen Mamma, 
2020
.
Dimensions: H 205cm x W 120cm (each pair). 
Plywood, enamel paint.
Edition: Five pairs and five single screens (2020 – mid 2021)
.

Is there anything more exciting than seeing creative people branching out of their comfort zone to create something in a parallel field? You’re correct – no, there isn’t! Case in point is this exciting new launch by one of my favourite Australian artists, Sean Meilak (who you may remember featuring in our campaign with Arflex which saw us pairing beautiful furniture with four of Australia’s most exciting contemporary artists). Who knows, perhaps that collaboration was somewhat fortuitous for Sean who now unveils a first custom-made furniture collection of his own, which explores the intersection of popular culture and high art. Having said all that, I feel like it was only a matter of time before this talented Melbourne artist, who’s work often referencing set design, modern and postmodern art, branched out into furniture, which brings me a lot of joy, to say the least.

Playful, witty, and elegant, Sean’s collection comprises a chair and folding screens that reference a range of sources, from sneakers to theatrical set design, Cinema, Renaissance frescos, and historical architecture.

Screen Mamma is designed to animate interior spaces and offer opportunities for discrete yet connected zones. The folding three-level arch construction forms a semicircular arcade, inspired by the saturated colour palette of Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, as well as the paintings of Italian modernist Giorgio de Chirico. The screens are manufactured in plywood and enamel paint, and for this particular project, Sean will work directly with clients to devise a tailored palette for each commission, resulting in a unique piece. Perfetto.

Field Chair
, 2020.
Dimensions: H 69cm x W 90cm W 90cm.
Plywood, enamel paint, wool, foam.
Edition: 5 (2020 – mid 2021)
.

Field Chair draws on the roofline of factories and the industrial urban landscape of Sean’s childhood. The chair’s zigzag base is a nod to the transformation of these industrial areas to residential and green spaces. Also, constructed in plywood and painted in enamel, the striking piece includes a cylindrical yellow bolster upholstered in Italian wool.

Sean’s furniture collection continues his longstanding interest in the intersection of contemporary art and applied design, as well as the exploration of personal and collective histories and the psychology of space. This body of work contributes to the field of cross-disciplinary artists from the Bauhaus to Donald Judd and Nathalie du Pasquier (one of the original Memphis Group members), who have all designed and produced furniture.




Screen Mamma and Field Chair will be made on a commission basis only. For inquiries and orders please contact Sarah Murray at Niagara Galleries via email ([email protected]), phone (0402 711 684) or visit the gallery website for more info.

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[Images courtesy of Sean Meilak. Photography by Peter Rosetzky.]